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Lyndsay Meiklem Dean | Episode 421
Lyndsay Meiklem Dean is, The Vegan Potter. Lyndsay discovered her passion for clay the moment she sat down at a potter’s wheel more than two decades ago. Lyndsay is the owner of Meiklem Kiln Works, which for the past 15 yrs, has offered community clay and art classes to all ages. Lyndsay is a full-time-working potter and instructor who is passionate about sharing her love for the medium with others. Her work can be found in more than a dozen retailers in the US, Canada, and as well as in Lyndsay’s online shop. Lyndsay works with stoneware clay and a variety of glazes to create functional pottery for the everyday foodie.
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In the beginning what was the motivation for wanting to become a potter?
I am not sure I thought about the motivation. It was more of an obsession and an addiction that had to be fed. It wasn’t a want to it was a have to. So that was the main motivating factor for me.
Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur and why?
Yes, definitely. Although I would love to be someone who doesn’t need to make any money who gets to make whatever I want to make in the recluse of my studio, as I am sure a lot of us feel. I have become an entrepreneur and you know my dad was an entrepreneur and the second I told him I wanted to open a studio he asked me the same question three times. Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure? Are you sure you want to have a business? And the answer was yes, I can’t work for anyone else. I have to be self employed. This is what I am supposed to be doing.
What do you love about owning your own business?
I think it is easier to think of the things I don’t like right off the top of my head. (laughter) That sounds terrible but that is honest. The things that I love are that ultimately I get to make the final decisions about things. It’s on me so I can experiment and I can try things and it is no one else’s fault if it doesn’t work but mine. That is definitely the scary and most fun part of it. And just that it is very satisfying. It s very rewarding to think I get to get up everyday and do what I love and to come home and think I get to go to this again tomorrow.
What do you consider your biggest achievement as an art business owner?
My greatest achievement…I mean I think really my studio as a whole.The fact that I have managed to make a living at my craft for as long as I have. Don’t get me wrong, I have not made a living by selling pots all these years, it has been off of my teaching studio and teaching classes and expanding and having many streams of revenue. Also building a community and attracting like-minded people who want to work in it.
What is one of the biggest challenges you are facing right now as a business owner?
Probably the biggest challenge I am facing right now is I launched myself into this in terms of okay I am too afraid to try to sell pots and try and make a living at it so I am going to teach and that is going to be my bread and butter. And if I sell pots great. So right now 22 years later I am thinking, How do I pivot a little bit? I don’t want to give up either one, but how do I pivot so I am making more off of selling my pots and not taking on as many classes. What is the right way to build up one side of the business while you are continuing to do both?
What was one of the best things you got out of the Master Mind group?
The friendships. Hands down. And the connection with you Paul. I mean you have been a great touchstone over the years. Not only for that group, you are inspirational and to watch you grow as a potter and the podcast. So for sure the connections and the friendships.
How has being married been amazing for life?
It is amazing. If you were to ask me what my biggest achievement in life has been, rather than just my career it’s been in finding a partner, it’s been in finding a like-minded, passionate, charismatic, intelligent human being to get to share my life with, who is just as passionate at what he does as I am about what I do. We support each other and feed each other’s souls in that way, in terms of boosting each other up. He is self-employed as well, he is a musician. Yeah, married life is spectacular. He is my best friend, we have a ball together.
Book
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Contact:
Instagram: @theveganpotter